Sports

Tottenham close on €15m deal for Brazilian full-back Souza

Goal reports Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Souza from Santos, with Fabrizio Romano saying the clubs have agreed a deal worth around €15 million and that personal terms are in place, leaving the left-back set to be the club's first signing of the January window.

Culture

Producers Guild names 10 feature nominees, boosting five films' Oscar prospects

The Producers Guild of America announced the 10 films contending for its feature-film award on Friday. The nominees are "Bugonia," "F1: The Movie," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "One Battle After Another," "Sentimental Value," "Sinners,"

Culture

Winter TV 2026 brings revivals and finales, from 'Scrubs' to 'Outlander'

Television and streaming platforms are offering a crowded winter slate in early 2026, with returning favorites, revivals and new series across broadcast networks and streamers. The season includes high-profile revivals and returns: a 10th season of Scrubs with original cast members on ABC (premiering Feb. 25), a Malcolm in the

Culture

Keke Palmer to lead Peacock's modern remake of The 'Burbs

Movieweb reports Peacock has unveiled a trailer for a series adaptation of Joe Dante's 1989 dark comedy cult classic The 'Burbs, with Keke Palmer replacing Tom Hanks in the lead role. The official synopsis says the show is "set in present-day suburbia" and "follows

Culture

The Traitors Season 4 eliminations: who has been banished or murdered

People reports that The Traitors has returned with a new cast of 23 stars competing at a castle in the Scottish Highlands, hosted by Alan Cumming. The season brings together figures from Survivor, Big Brother, Real Housewives, RuPaul’s Drag Race and more — including Dorinda Medley, Lisa Rinna, Colton Underwood,

Tech

ZDNET names Sony Bravia 5 best 98-inch TV amid growing cinema-size options

ZDNET's roundup of cinema-sized televisions highlights new 98-inch class screens and names the Sony Bravia 5 its pick for the best 98-inch TV, noting that brands such as Hisense and Samsung have expanded size classes to 98, 115 and even 130 inches. The reviewer praised the Bravia 5

Culture

Photograph of mother, author and newborn taken after Theo’s birth at UCH

A photograph of the author, her mother and her eldest son, Theo, was taken the morning after his birth in May 2002 at University College Hospital in London. The author says she loves that her mother is exquisitely dressed, wearing pearls and a suit they bought together, and the composition:

Politics

Home Office to speed closure of asylum hotels as Labour vows to end use by 2029

Independent.co reports the Home Office is set to accelerate the closure of migrant hotels this Spring, while Labour minister Yvette Cooper has unveiled a plan to close every asylum hotel "for good" and the party has pledged to end their use by 2029. The strategy involves relocating

Culture

Jessie Buckley hailed for role in Hamnet as awards season builds

Jessie Buckley has been widely praised for her portrayal of Agnes (Anne) Hathaway in Chloé Zhao’s film Hamnet, a meditation on love and grief that charts William Shakespeare and his wife’s anguish after the death of their 11-year-old son. The film’s emotional force is said to be

Culture

The Night Manager Season 2 slows early but rewards patience after Episode 3

Time reports that Prime Video and the BBC have produced a belated Season 2 of The Night Manager, with Tom Hiddleston returning as Jonathan Pine and a new director, Georgi Banks-Davies, replacing Susanne Bier. The sequel opens with a short sequence in Syria identifying the body of Richard Roper and

World

EU member states approve Mercosur trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay

European Union member states have backed a long‑running free trade agreement with Mercosur countries Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, ending 25 years of negotiations but provoking protests across the EU. The contentious deal prompted immediate protests in Poland, France, Greece and Belgium, with farmers blocking roads in Paris, Brussels

Tech

Grok on X used to produce sexualized images of real people, drawing outrage

Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok has been used to generate sexualized images of real people on X, prompting outrage from victims and scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. The images, posted as replies by Grok to public posts on X, include manipulated photos that dress people in skimpy garments, remove clothing

Crypto

Whales buy $3.2M of Zcash after governance shock, but price structure stays fragile

Beincrypto reports Zcash experienced a sudden governance shock that pushed its price down by over 20%, briefly dipping near $380, before buyers lifted it roughly 17% back above $440. The sell-off followed reports that the core development team had exited, a move later clarified as a governance restructuring rather than

Tech

Google founders reduce California ties amid proposed billionaire wealth tax

Sergey Brin has moved or ended several business entities tied to California, joining fellow Google co-founder Larry Page in reducing their formal ties to the state where they built their fortunes, The New York Times reported. According to documents seen by The Times, an entity connected to Mr. Brin terminated

Culture

Aaron Moten on Maximus' Season 2 showdown with Quintus

Collider spoke with Aaron Moten and co‑showrunner Geneva Robertson‑Dworet about Fallout Season 2, centering on Episode 4, "The Demon in the Snow," and the pivotal confrontation between Maximus and Quintus. Episode 4 sees Lucy and the Ghoul reach New Vegas and face an Elvis ghoul horde,

Tech

Wave Browser partners with 4ocean to fund global plastic cleanup

Wave Browser has partnered with 4ocean to link everyday web browsing to ocean cleanup. According to the report, every time users surf the web Wave contributes to 4ocean cleanup projects that remove plastic and other waste from waterways worldwide, including the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Indonesia, with the

Culture

When friends become landlords: the risks of renting from a mate

Friendship can be strained when homeowners take in lodgers, often friends, creating a “friendlord” dynamic in which one party holds clear power over the other. According to flatsharing website SpareRoom, there was an 89% increase in homeowners taking in lodgers over the three years to January 2024, and rooms in

Sports

FA Cup fourth-round draw set for January 12, 2026

According to Goal, the 2025-26 FA Cup fourth-round draw will take place on Monday January 12, 2026, with proceedings due to begin around 6:30pm GMT (1:30pm ET). The draw will be held ahead of the third-round tie between Liverpool and Barnsley and will form part of that match’

Culture

Writer argues Leonardo may have painted a nude version of the Mona Lisa

A writer has argued that Leonardo da Vinci may have painted a nude version of the Mona Lisa, citing an 18th-century engraving, a full‑scale preparatory drawing at Chantilly and contemporary accounts from Leonardo’s later years in France. The case begins with a John Boydell engraving of a “Joconda”

Culture

The Pitt Season 2 premiere brings abandoned baby and Robby’s sabbatical tension

Movieweb reports that The Pitt returned to HBO Max with its Season 2 premiere, and the cast spoke with Entertainment Weekly to unpack the episode. Episode 1, titled "7:00 A.M.," is set on July 4 and follows Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch arriving on his

World

US forces seize oil tanker Olina near Trinidad in Caribbean operation

US military personnel boarded and seized the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean near Trinidad early on Friday, the US military said, in an operation aimed at targeting sanctions-busting vessels travelling to and from Venezuela. Video footage posted by officials showed US forces landing on the ship’s deck. Southern

World

Trump and Colombia’s Petro Hold Abrupt Call, Shift Tone

President Trump and Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro spoke by phone in an abrupt, 55-minute conversation that both leaders described as cordial — Mr. Trump called it a "Great Honor" and Mr. Petro called it "Historic," Mr. Petro said in an interview in Bogotá. The call marked

Culture

The Kid LAROI opens up about breakup on Before I Forget

People reports The Kid LAROI's third studio album, Before I Forget, dropped on Friday, Jan. 9, and finds the 22-year-old Australian rapper taking a vulnerable approach to his songwriting and opening up about a breakup. He was last linked to Tate McRae and had previewed the new era

World

U.S. teams board tanker Olina in Caribbean as part of Venezuela oil operations

A joint U.S. Coast Guard and Navy team boarded the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea early Friday, the U.S. Southern Command said, in the latest operation tied to the Trump administration’s effort to control Venezuela’s oil exports. The Olina is the fifth vessel to

Health

Experts warn Britain remains far from the end of the flu season as elderly hit hardest

Independent.co reports leading epidemiologists warn Britain is "a long way from the end of the flu season," with rates "stubbornly stable" among over-85s despite an overall decline. They say the H3N2 strain, specifically Subclade K viruses, is particularly affecting older adults who have less natural